I had a hawk swoop low over my head while calling, looking very confused, flew off and landed in a tree. Every time I called, it came a couple of trees closer, until it was in "my" tree, looking straight down trying to find that turkey. Quickly flew off when I waived.
Another made a pass at a decoy, seemed to realize what it was at the last minute and flew off.
Enough to convince me that a large hawk has few qualms about taking an adult turkey.
Another made a pass at a decoy, seemed to realize what it was at the last minute and flew off.
Enough to convince me that a large hawk has few qualms about taking an adult turkey.
Old Buck
Life Member
I've learned how to do a squirrel distress call and have had a number of close encounters since then. Once, while high in a tree, I was trying to call in a coyote just for fun when I saw a great horned owl closing in rapidly at eye level. At about three yards, and closing fast, the owl figured out something wasn't right and swerved. I'm not sure who was more surprised.
C
cityhick87
Guest
that's funny
MadisonB&C
Active Member
My dad and I had something like that happen to us once, a couple seasons ago. We got lucky and found two trees a few feet apart that could each hold a climber. We were sitting up there when something passed by VERY close. We hadn't seen anything, and just kind of forgot about it. A few minutes later, it happened again, this time from behind. It came in and clipped a twig a few inches from my dad's head. It kept on going, and when it landed on a stump twenty yards out, we got a good look at him. Great horned owl (it's amazing how silent they are). We were wearing all kinds of camo, and all the evidence of food that thing needed was a little movement.
BW
Member
Yes, 3 years ago on a clear fall day I was setting on the edge of a high pasture over a river bottom area with 2 foam decoys out about 20 yards from me.
I heard a noise like air rushing through a jet engine and at that moment a bald eagle dropped out of the sky and grabbed a decoy and started off with it. Startled the daylights out of me and he looked like he was huge at that distance. He started to fly right over me and must have realized something was not right with his meal and dropped the decoy after he was about 90 feet up and it landed right at my feet.
I was shaking like a leaf. Most impressive thing I have ever witnessed in the woods. The speed in which it moved was awesome.
The decoy has punctures in it from where his talons had ahold of it.
I heard a noise like air rushing through a jet engine and at that moment a bald eagle dropped out of the sky and grabbed a decoy and started off with it. Startled the daylights out of me and he looked like he was huge at that distance. He started to fly right over me and must have realized something was not right with his meal and dropped the decoy after he was about 90 feet up and it landed right at my feet.
I was shaking like a leaf. Most impressive thing I have ever witnessed in the woods. The speed in which it moved was awesome.
The decoy has punctures in it from where his talons had ahold of it.
B
Bobcat
Guest
BW that is an awesome story ! Big birds aren't they ? There's a guy on the homebrew trail camera page that put his camera on a dead deer hoping to get a predator feeding on the carcas and got pictures of two bald eagles feeding on it ! The only suprise attack that's happened to me personaly ( besides the wife trappin me at too young of an age!)was a small owl that tried to make a meal of me as I was getting situated in my treestand one morning. I was just about to sit down and heard a whisper of moving air and when I looked up there it was right in my face, I threw my bow up and he veered off at the last second. Yes it did scare me for a few seconds.
M
Mort
Guest
A few years ago we had an experiece with 2 owls. We were out early in the morning walking a trail and using an owl call to locate a tom. We got an answer from 2 owls that flew up & landed in trees on each side of us. They would kind of growl,taking turns and i would take a turn also. A few minutes latter i heard a gobble in the distance and headed down the trail to get closer. The owls flew from tree to tree & followed us. I set up with my uncle & tried to decide if i should owl call 1 more time or start my tree yelps when one of the owls hooted again & the tom gobbled. I thanked the owls and they finally flew away. 4 toms and 1 hen were called in but they stayed out of range for 45 min. then walked off.
Both of my experiences have been while bow hunting. I witnessed a Peregrine Falcon take a drake woodie about 20 yards from my tree along a pond edge. It was unbelievable. I watched the woodie and his mate almost every day. One day I heard something, sounded almost like a bat being swung through the air. Then POOF! A burst of feathers and they fell to the ground. Too bad I didn't have a camera to catch it on film! This year I had a Kestrel chase a sparrow right in front of my stand through all sorts of branches and limbs. It was really cool. He saw me going for my camera when he was eating on the ground and picked up his prize and moved out before I could get a pick. These have to be two of my favorite hunting memories.
J
jason
Guest
It's not an attack, but it was pretty cool. Two years ago while turkey hunting, the first morning I sat up on fence row that was covered with grass and trees. Sitting there still with my gun shouldered, a sperrow slanded on my barrel. It sat there for a few seconds then flew away.
Then the next weeken I went out. I sat in the exact same place. But this time a nother sperrow landed on me. It pirched on my shoulder only for a second, because when it landed it startled me so I flinched, and it scarred the sperrow and flew off. It shows how still i was sitting.
Good hunting!
Then the next weeken I went out. I sat in the exact same place. But this time a nother sperrow landed on me. It pirched on my shoulder only for a second, because when it landed it startled me so I flinched, and it scarred the sperrow and flew off. It shows how still i was sitting.
Good hunting!
Two years ago I was set up on a field edge before dawn. At fly down I had 3 nice toms come in gobbling heading straight for my decoys. About 50 yards out they hung up next to a clump of weeds and wouldn't come any closer. Started putting and wandered off. After 2 more hours of nothing but noisy crows hanging around I walked over to that clump of weeds and found it was a great horned owl sitting on the ground with a broken wing!
SWIABOONER
PMA Member
I also had a close encounter with an owl a couple years ago. I was walking to my set up and herd something wiz by my head, so i stopped and listened, (it was dark). The next time i saw it coming, an owl, I don't know what I did, if i was close to a young one or disturbed it while hunting but it wasn't happy that i was there, that's for sure.
B
Baker
Guest
The Veterinary College at Iowa State has a Wildlife care clinic that rehabilitates animals such has that injured owl. I have volunteered there and many of the cases that survive are either released back into the wild or placed in a permanent facility depending on their condition. If you live in the area and find an injured animal I would recomend taking it there. If you don't want to mess with the animal you can call the DNR and they will handle it. They take everything from deer to sparrows. While I was there I had some pretty neat experiences with some really awesome animals.
[This message has been edited by Baker (edited 03-07-2002).]
[This message has been edited by Baker (edited 03-07-2002).]